Protector for foods



u, l11, 1934. T, TIGHE, JR 1,973,449

PROTECTOR FOR FOODS Original Filed Aug. 25. 1932 gmc/YM Thomas Tiyhe,Jie

Patented Sept. 11, 1934 s 1,973,449 PROTECTOR FOR FOODS Thomas Tighe,Jr., Chicago, Ill., assigner to The Thermo Service Company, Inc., acorporation of Delaware Original application August 25, 1932, Serial No.`l 630,452. Divided and this application April 10, 1933, Serial No.665,411

1 claim.

This invention relates to a food protector for foods placed upon serviceplates, and has for its object to provide, in a manner as hereinafterset forth, a device of the class referred to for en- I compassing, inprotecting relation, the food upon a plate when transporting the latterfrom a point of food supply to the point of service; with the protectorso constructed to enable a plurality of protectors to maintain a seriesof service'` plates ,10 in stack relation with respect to each other topermit for conveniently and expeditiously transportingthe stackby asingle waiter for the purpose of serving quickly a number of persons ata banquet, and with the protectors acting to not l5 only protect thefoods upon the stacked plates but also preventing the foods from coolingwhile being transported to the point desired.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a manner ashereinafter set forth, a protector for the purpose referred to includinga body part having a reinforced rigid supporting means at an end thereofto increase the life of the protector.

Further objects of the invention are to provide, in a manner ashereinafter set forth, a protector for the purpose set forth, which issimple in its construction and arrangement, strong, durable, compact,thoroughly efficient in its use, conveniently handled and comparativelyinexpensive to manufacture.

The invention forming the subject matter of this application is adivision of my application filed August 25, 1932, Serial Number 630,452,issued as Patent No. 1,922,992 of August 15, 1933.

To the above ends essentially, and to others which may hereinafterappear, the invention con- Figure 3 is a fragmentary view in verticalsec.

tion upon an enlarged scale.

Referring to the drawing, the protector includes an annular body 1 ofthe desired height and diameter and which gradually increases from itsbottom to its top to provide it of tapered contour. The lower end 2 ofbody portion 1 is di- 50 rected upon an outwardly extending concavecurve and merges into an annular supporting flange 3 of angle-shape intransverse cross section.

The flange 3 is formed of a rear horizontally disposed leg 4, an upperbend 5 of convex curvay,ture merging into a front vertically disposed lconsisting of an inner portion 6, a lower rounded bend 7 and an outerportion 8 cf less height than and which is in snug Contact throughoutwith the forward face of portion 6. The top edge 9 of 60 portion 8 issquared and is positioned in close proximity to but below the point of.mergence of bend 5 with portion 6.

The cross sectional width of the horizontal leg 4 is materially greaterthan the height of the 65 vertical leg. The `legs are disposed at rightangles to each other. The leg 4 slightly` inclines downwardly from thecurved lower end 2 of body portion 1.

Integral with the upper end of body portion 1 70 is a closure 10therefor. The latter consists of a horizontally disposed annular upperouter part 11 sloping slightly downwardly throughout from the upper endof body portion 1 and of slightly convexo-concave curvature intransverse cross section, a set of annular intermediate parts 12, 13 and14 and a circular horizontally disposed central flat part 15. The part12 is arranged in an upstanding position and inclines at a slightoutward inclination from its lower to its upper end. The inclination ofpart 12 is in a direction outwardly with respect to the axis of thecover. The height of part 12 is greater than the transverse crosssectional length of part 11. The part 13 is substantially flat,horizontally 85 disposed, positioned below parts l2, 14 and of greaterlength in transverse cross section than the height of part 12. The lowerends of the parts 12, 14 merge into the sides of part 13. The part 14extends from its lower to its upper -90 end at an inward inclination andat an inclination materially less than the inclination of part l2. Theparts 12, 14 are disposed at opposite inclinations with respect to eachother. The part 14 in transverse cross section is of slight 95concavo-convex contour and merges at its top into part 15. The latter isarranged below partY l1Y and positioned substantially in alignment withthe horizontal center of part 12. The part l5 is formed in closeproximity to its point of 100 mergence with part 14 with a row ofequi-distant spaced openings 16 and has its upper face uninterruptedthroughout between the edges of the latter.

The parts 12, 13, 14 and 15 coact to provide a 105 wide groove havingits outer wall provided by part 12 of greater height than its inner wallformed by part 14. The groove is of a width to receive endless ribs ofvarying diameters and heights which depend from the bottom of serviceplates adapted to be seated on part l1. The outwardly inclined part 12which provides the outer wall of the groove, acts as a stop to engagethe outer lower corner of a depending rib on a service plate to preventthe latter from sliding oi the protector. The inwardly inclined part 14,which provides the inner wall of the groove is so formed that if theplate shifts toward the aXis of the cover, the depending rib on theplate will be engaged only atits lower inner corner by part 14. The part11, due to its sloping downwardly from the top of body portion 1 offersa greater supporting surface for the service plate than if the slope wasomitted.

When the protector is employed, it is mounted upon a lower service plateand encloses and protects the food carried by the latter. When sup"-porting an upper service plate, the bottom of theV latter is mountedupon part 11 and the part 12 encompasses the flange, bead or rib on thebottorn of such plate. The part l5 isspaced from the bottom of the upperservice plate to permit for the exhaust of steam or vapor through theopenings 16. The form of the closure 10- prevents the upper serviceplate, when mounted on thel closure, from shifting thereoff. The flange3 prevents the protector from: shifting off the lower service plate. Theform of protector also enables a stack of service plates being carriedin superposed relation with respect to a series of ing Figure 2.

What I claim is:-

In a food protector, a ring-like body portion of greater diameter at itsbottom than at its top provided at its bottom with an outwardly directedannularv lower supporting ilange of angle shaped cross-section toIprovide Aa horizontal and a vertical leg, the latter depending from theformer and consisting of a pair of vertical portions snugly abuttingthroughout, one of said portions terminating in the other and havingl afree edge spaced below the upper face of said horizontal leg, the otherportion merging diate annular cover portion at a less angle than A thatofthe outer intermediate cover portion and to a less height than theupper edge of the body 'portion and a ilat circularv horizontal centralpart merging into the inner intermediate cover portion and lyingsubstantially below the level l,

of the upper outer cover portion.

THOMAS TIGHE, JR.

